Method of and apparatus for carburation.



E. R. GODWARD.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR CARBURATION.

APPLICAHON FlLIzl) NOV. 3. |9l.

Patented Jam. 21, 19H).

MQQLSSS,

lNvENToR 272665122 @ada/ard 2 SHEETS-SHEE IK /W TNESSESI Mf E. R. GODWARD.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR CARBURAUON.

APPLICATION FILED NDV. 3.1917..

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR Zvi/zaai?. vzaaf- WITNESSESI ERNEST R. GODWARD, 0F DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CARBURATION.

Application filed November 3, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST ROBERT Gon- WARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Dunedin, New Zealand, have invented' certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Carburation, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carbureters; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel and improved construction of vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber through which a charge of gasolene or hydrocarbon and air, in rough mechanical mixture, delivered from an ordinary carbureter or primary mixer, is passed; and to a novel method whereby the gasolene content of the charge while, in a partial vacuum is-mechanically suspended and picked up in a manner similar to that described in my co-pending application, SerialNo. 90,921, tiled April 13, 1916, to stretch, expand and evaporate the gasolene or hydrocarbon particles to cause all said particles to be completely absorbed by the air, so that the final product delivered to the internal combustion engine served by the apparatus comprises a substantiallydry homogeneous mixture of hydrocarbon-'vapor and atmospheric air.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel method and an improved construction of vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber, whereby buta short distance of travel of the charge of gasolene and air is required; and at the same time to provide a plurality of vapor passages Within the vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber which gradually increase in eaipacity toward their exit or outlet ends, whereby a proper expansion of the charge of gasolene and air during its movement through the same is provided for; and in addition thereto, the said passages are bounded by walls providing a gradually increasing surface area upon which particles of liquid gasolene may lodge and be suspended for subjection to the stretching, expanding and picking up action of the air moving through said passages, to finally effectv the complete evaporation of the liquid gasolene of the charge, and its entire absorption by the air to produce a uniform homogeneous mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and air free from liquid particles of liquid gasolene, and therefore substantially dry and of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

serial No. 200,142.

a comparatively stable character having little or no tendency to condensation.

Another object of the presentinv'ention is to so relate the bounding walls of a plurality of passages through the vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber, thatl not. only 1s the gradually increasing cubic capacity of said passages toward their exit ends pro. vided for, but the said walls are gradually brought closer together toward said exit ends of the passages, whereby the air stream flowing therethrough is thinned out and consequently brought into more intimate contact with the mechanically suspended gasolene particles lodged on the wall surfaces, with a view to aiding and hastening the stretching, expansion and evaporation of said gasolene particles until the Sallie are entirely absorbed and unified with the air.

lVith/the abcve and other objects in view, which will hereinafter appear as the description continues, the invention consists in the method and the features of construction, combination and arrangement ot' parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and then finally particularly pointed out in '.he appended claims.

An apparatus capable of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a vaporizing or homogenizing nuxing chamber made according to and embodyingthe principles of the present invention, andshowing in connection with'its inlet end one form of primary mixer or ordinary carburcter.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse section through the vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber adjacent to its exit or discharge end, taken on line .2-2 ot' Fig. 1 and looking downward. Fig. 3 is another horizontal transverse section through the vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber adjacent to its inlet or intake end, taken on the line 3-3 of `Fig. 1, also looking downward.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of a portion ot' said vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber, showing one. modified means of surface treatment for the avalls of its passages to provide for the mechanical suspension of particles of gasolene thereon.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing another modified means of surface treatment for the passage walls to provide for the mechanical suspension of particles of gasolene thereon.

' Throughout the several views, corresponding parts are indicated by the 'same characters of reference.

Referring more particularly t0 said drawings, 1 indicates the main casing of oneI form of carbureter or primary mixer of airand gasolene, the same providing an interior air chamber 2 with which an air intake member 3, having an inlet 4, communicates. Connected with the upper end of said casing 1 is an annular member 5, the inner wall surfaces of which are flared outwardly and oppositely from an intermediate point toward its respective ends, as at 6 and 7, to provide a restricted or Venturi air passage 8. Connected with the lower end of said casing y1 is a closing member 9 provided with a centrally-disposed upwardly extending stud or hub 10 having an internally threaded vertical opening extendinc therethrough. Connected with said stuc or hub 10, so las to extend vertically and centrally ,up`ward through said air chamber 2 and into said restricted or Venturi air passage 8,-is a gasolene feed-jet 11, having an exteriorly threaded extension 12 of reduced diameter which screws thrugh the internally threaded opening of said stud or hub 10. Said feedjet 11 and its extension 12 are provided with an. upwardly extending gasolene duct 13. Connected with the lower free end of said extension 12 of the feed-j et 11 is a gasolene intake fitting 14, with which may be connected a suitable means (not shown) for supplying gasolene to said feed-jet. Also `connected with said intake fitting 14 is an internally threaded nipple 15, in Whichis adjustably arranged a threaded Valve-stem 16 having at its upper end' a needle valve member 17 which may be ycarried into closed or adjusted open relation with a valve-"seat 18 formed within said .gasolene duct 13, to either shut off or regulate the degree of flow-of gasolene from the source of supply into and through said feed-jet 11. Slidablyarranged upon and over the upper free end of saidfeedjet 11 is a sleeve 19, -which terminates at its upper end in a'n inverted conical spreader head 20, normally fitting or resting in closingurelation to the restricted portion of the Venturi air passage 8.: Saidspreader head 2() provides an internal chamber 21 above said feed-jet'u, from which radial ductslor gasolene passages lea'd outwardly into an duct 13 of said feed-jet 11. A compresslon spring 25 engages the upper end of said spreader head 2() to Vnormally thrust the same downward into normal closing relation to th Venturi air passage 8, the downward movementof the spreader head being limited by its 'engagement with the inclined wall surface 7 ef'said passage. The devices above described combine to provide one form of primary cabureter or mixing device adapted to deliver to my improved vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber, a rough mechanical admixture' of gasolene and air for further treatment within the same Ito convert the admixture into a substantially dry uniform homogeneous mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and air. shown this form of primary carbureter or mixing device, merely to provide a clear understanding of the use and operation of my improved vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber; hence I do not limit my invention in any way with reference to the structure of such primary carbureter or mix- 'mg device, since any well known construction of carbureter now on the market, which -produces a mechanical admixture of gasothe essentially novel features of the present invention consists, in the embodiments shown, of an outer casing 26 of inverted truncated conical shape, being of comparatively small diameter at its intake or inlet end and gradually increasing in diameter I have described and and circumference toward itsl enlarged outlet or discharge end. The intake or inlet end of said casing 26 is secured in positive connection with the discharge end of said primary carbureter or mixing device, in communication with the Venturi air passage 8 of the latter. Connected with the discharge end of said casing 26, in any suitable manner, is a cover-member or dome 27, which is provided with a suitable outlet opening 28 adapted to be fitted to and to be suitably connected with the intake manifold or' induction pipes. leading to the cylinders of the internal combustion engine to be served by the apparatus., Arranged within said casing 26 is a plurality of hollow inverted truncated main cbnical members 29, the same being nested one .within another to provide a plurality of directly extending passages 30 between the walls thereof. The pitch or inclination of the `several conical members vary slightly relative to one an,- other, so that the relative distance intervening between the walls thereof at their small intake ends is greater than the distance intervening between the walls thereof at their enlarged outlet ends, consequently providing the passages 30 with a gradually converging shape in longitudinal cross section toward such outlet ends. Since, however, the said conical members 29 are increased in diameter and circumferencetoward their outlet ends to a substantial degree, the cross sectional area of the annular passages'30 is graduallyl increased towardV said outlet ends notwithstanding the longitudinally converging conformation of the same above mentioned.l

In addition to the nested main conical members 29, I also referably Iprovide a plurality of intermediate half-length conir cal membersl, which extend downwardly through the passages 30, for about half the length of the latter, thus again sub-dividing the upper ends of said passages 30 into still narrower annular passages` 30, so thatnot only yis the asolene-charged air stream passing theret rough vstill further thinned out, but a great increase in area of bounding wall-surface is provided for catching and mechanically suspending liquid particles of liquid Vgasolene for the purpose of subjecting the same to the stretching, expanding and evaporating steps necessary to their complete and final absorption and unication with the air. By this means also the annular spaces between the conical and half-length conical members are further narrowed down to la desired degree. The group of conical members and half-conical members is completed by an inner complete conical member '32, the downwardly directed apex 33 of fw'hich is centrally alined above the longitudinal axis of the feed-jet l1 and associated parts of the primary carbureter, and as thus ,loca`ted may provide an abutment or` base from which the compression spring 25 may exert its tension upon said spreader-head 20 and the tapered" valve member 24 connected therewith. The upper end of said inner complete conical member 32 is. preferably provided with an upwardly extending outwardly flared annular flange 34, which projects over the outlet ends of the innermost passages 30a to provide a ,slight obstruction to the direct pull of the A vacuum therethrough, so that the influence of the partial vacuum induced within the device will act more directly and with greater ease within the outermost passages 30a, thus tending to 4assure the sub-division of the 'gasolene-charged air stream more or less equally throughout all of the said passages. The upper end of said complete conical member 32 is closed by a suitably formed top wall 35.

The several conical members are secured together 4in their mutually spaced and nested relation by suitable spacing and fastening means 36, which may, for example, comprise portions otl solfler so associated uith said conical members as (i) both secure tlie same together in `ixed relation and spacethe same onefrom another.

In`operation, theprocess of carburation commences within the primary carbureter or mixing device, the induction stroke of the internalcombustion engine creating a partial vacuum within the whole apparatus, and thereby causing the spreader-head 20 to rise upon the feed-jet 11 and move upwardly into the outward-ly flared upper portion .of the Venturi air passage 8, whereupon an air passage is opened between the periphery of the spreader-head 20 and the walls of said Venturi air'passage proportionate tothe amount of upward movement ofv said spreader-head 20; and since the tapered valve mem'ber 24 lmoves with the spreaderhead, the same also providesan opening of the feed-jet 11 more or less proportionate to the opening of the-Venturi air passage 8.v

The incoming air passes through the o ened air A passage 8 at the periphery o spreader-head 20, and the gasolene being sucked up out of the feed-jet 1'1 is directed through the radial openings 22 into the annular discharge mouth 23, where itis engaged by the inrushing air, so that particles of the liquid gasolene .are picked up or entrained in the air stream, combining therewith in the form of a rough admixture of gasolene and air, which is discharged from the air passage 8 into the inlet end of the lgaporizing or homogenizing mixing cham- The mixture thus caused to enter the lower end of the vaporizing orhomogenizing mixing chamber immediately divides itself by entering the several passages 30, and, later on, the passages 30 'between the several conical members, and since the passages inthe crease in capacity toward their outlet ends, j

passages, gravity tends to arrest thesaid hea-vler particles of gasolene, which, consequently, are caused to lodge on the adjacent wall surfaces of the passages, and are there mechanically suspended. as it were, Ain the presence of or'in contact with the continuously moving air current. This deposit of the heavier gasolene particles is-kept in 0u-,

ward creeping movement upon the wall sur- '125 faces of the conical members by the friction bf the air streams; and since the surface area of said walls is constantly increasing toward the upper enlarged ends of said conical members, it follows that said heavier gasolene particles are caused to spread or 13 thin out on said wall surfaces, being thereby stretched and expanded, said stretching and expanding thereof being due also to the partial vacuum within the passages, as well as to the frictional action of the air thereon. As thus stretched and expanded, the heavier liquid particles of gasolene are so thinned out as tobe easily vaporized and thereupon taken up or absorbed by the passing current of air` so as to be homogeneously unified therewith. This action continues throughout the passages 30 and 30al until at the time gf discharge from the said passages a substantially dry and stable homogeneous mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and air, rendering an exceedingly ei'licient combustible or explosive mixture, is ready for delivery to the engine cylinders.

Since said passages become narrower, due to the converging of the walls of the nested conical members toward their outlet ends, the air streams passing therethrough are gradually thinned out. and are thus brought into more direct and intimate contact"\vith the heavier gasolene particles spread or stretched on the adjacent wall surfaces in thin films, and said films become thinner and thinner toward the end of said passages because of the constantly increasing area of the surfaces supporting the same, so that evaporation of the gasolene becomes constantly more rapid whereby the same is finallv and completely absorbed into the air. Since evaporation of the gasolene-is very rapid, and since evaporation is always accompanied by a lowering of temperature, the atmospheric air delivered to the apparatus may be heated by the waste heat from the exhaust manifold of the engine, if desired` thus using such waste heat units to compensate for the temperature losses due to evaporation, and thereby tending to keep temperature conditions normal within the vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chainber.

vReferring now to Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have shown therein the conical members of the vaporizin'g or homogenizing mixing chamber lined with gauze or mesh 37 which provides a roughcncd surface upon which the heavier particles of gasolene may lodge and be suspended for the stretching, expanding andr cvaporating actionv above mentioned. ln Fig. 5, l have illustrated another method of treating the surfaces of the conical members forthe same purpose, this treatment comprising a roughening of :the surfaces vby serrating'the same with small teeth 38.

It will be understood, however, that the degree of roughness imparted to the surfaces of said conical members is subject to a wide variation, according vto the conditions of Kuseand with fuel oils such as good grade gasolene the wall surfaces may be comparatively smooth,- a's indicated in the main figures of the drawings. l do not wish to comprising a plurality of nested, inverted conical or pyramidal members providing direct passages to receive at their inlet ends a rough admixture of hydrocarbon and air to travel therethrough and to be converted into a substantially dry, homogeneous mixture during such travel, said passages increasing in circumference and capacity from their inlet toward their outlet ends. I

2. lln a carbureting apparatus, a vaporizing or homogenizing mixing -chamber comprising an outer inverted truncated con' ical shell, an inner complete inverted conical shell, and a plurality of nested inverted truncatedconical members providing a plurality of direct annular passages to receiveat their inlet ends a rough admixture of hydrocarbon and air to travel therethrough and to be converted into a substantially dry, homogeneous mixture during such travel, said passages increasing in circumference and capacity from their inlet toward their outle't ends.

3. In a Cairbureting apparatus, a Vaporizing or hnogenizing mixing chamber comprising a. plurality of relatively spaced in-V verted conical members providing a plurality of intermediate passages bounded by walls ot' constantly increasing surface area from the inlet toward the outlet ends thereof, said passages thus formed constantly increasing in capacity toward their outlet ends and designed to receive at their inlet ends a rough admixture of hydrocarbon and air to travel therethrough and to be converted into a substantially dry, homogeneous mixture during such travel.

l. In a carbureting apparatus, a Vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber comprising a plurality of relatively spaced nested inverted conical members providing a plurality` of intermediate direct annular passages to receive at their inlet ends a rough admixture of gasolene and air, and to be converted into a substantially dry, homogeneous mixture during such travel, said passages increasing in circumference and capacity from their inlet toward their outlet ends, the walls of said conical menibers converging toward their enlarged ends to constantly narrow the width of said annular passages toward their outlet ends.

5. ,In a carbureting apparatus, a vaporizing or homogenizing mixing chamber comprising a hollow body having any inlet end and enlarging therefrom toward its outlet end` and means subdividing the interior of said hollow body into a plurality of direct passages of narrow cross-section inpone dimension but widening out in the other dimension adapted to receive at their inlet ends a'rough admixture of air and gasolene to be drawn therethrough and to be converted into a substantially dry, homogeneous mixture during its travel, said passages increasing in capacity toward the outlet ends and bounded by contiguous walls of constantly increasing surface area.

6. In a carbureting apparatus, a vaporizing or homogenizing chamber compris ing a hollow body having an inlet end and enlarging therefrom 'toward its outlet end, and means sub-dividing the interior of Said hollow body into a plurality of direct passages to receive at their inlet ends a rough admixture of air and gasolene to be drawn therethrough and to be converted into a substantially dry, homogeneous mixture during its travel, said passages increasing '1n capacity toward their outlet ends and bounded by contiguous walls of constantlyincreasing surface area; said bounding walls being arranged to converge each toward its next adjacent neighbor to constantly narrow the width of said passages toward their outlet ends.

'7. In a carbureting apparatus, a generating chamber comprising a plurality of full length concentrically separated inverted conical members, and a plurality of short conical members respectively interposed lbetween the enlarged ends of said full-length conical members; said full-length and short conical members providing a plurality of direct annular passages increasing in circumference and' capacity toward their outlet ends, and also providing Wall surfaces contiguous to said passages which are constantly increasing in surface area toward the outlet of said passages.

8. In a carbureting apparatus, a gener- -ating' chamber comprising a plurality of full-length concentrically separated inverted conical members, and a plurality ofshort conical members respectively interposed between the enlarged ends of said full-length conical members,"said full-length and short conical members providing a plurality of direct annular passages increasing in circumference and capacity toward their outlet ends, and also providing wall surfaces -c'ontig'uous to said passages which are con- .stantly lncreaslng 1nl surface area toward the outlet of said passages, the Walls of said full-length and short conical members converging toward their enlarged ends to constantly narrow the width of said annular passages toward their outlet ends.

9. In a carbureting apparatus, a generating chamber adapted to be connected in mutual communication between a primary carburetor and the intake manifold ot an internal combustion engine, comprising a plurality of nested and concentrically separated tubular members constantly increasing in diameter from their inlet ends and communicating with said primary carlnlreter toward their inlet ends and with said intake manifold toward their outlet ends; said tubular members providing direct annular passages increasing in capacity toward their outlet ends and bounded by contiguous walls of constantly increasing arca toward said outlet ends, the wall surfaces contiguous to said annular passages being roughened.

l0. Ima carbureting apparatus, a generating chamber adapted to be connected in mutual communication between a primary carbureter and the intake manifold ot' an internal combustion engine, comprising a plurality of nested and concentrically separated tubular members constantly increasing in diameter from their inletends and communieating with said primary carbureter toward their inlet ends and with said intake manifold toward their outletends; said tubular members providing direct annular passages increasing in capacity toward their outlet ends and vbounded by contiguous walls of constantly increasing area toward said outlet ends, and the said walls of said tubular members being arranged to converge each toward its next adjacent neighbor to constantly naigrow the width of said annular passages toward their outlet ends; the wall surfaces contiguous'to said annular passages being roughened.

11. A method of delaying movement of cntrained hydrocarbon particles contained in a mixture of hydrocarbon and air, which comprises passing such mixture in the form of currents, which are permitted to expand vin the direction of their progress between closely spaced confining walls providing a progressively increasing surface area in the direction of expansion; causing the liquid hydrocarbon particles to be caught'on said walls; and exposing said particles while on vsaid walls to the evaporatmg action of the 12. A method of delaying movement ofA the entrained hydrocarbon particles contained in a mixture of hydrocarbon and au'` which comprises passing such mixture through a widening passage of narrow cross-section, the bounding walls of which provide adjacentl progressively increasing areas of supporting surface; causing the liquid hydrocarbon particles to be caught on said supporting surfaces in intimate relation to the moving current whereby such particles are propelled and spread out upon said surfaces, by the friction and expansion of said current, in increasingly attenuated forni until entirely absorbed into said current by evaporation.

13. A method of Carburation which consists in pulling an initially constrict-ed current ot' roughly mixed air and hydrocarbon through a plurality of passages of narrow cross-section in one direction but which gradually widen out in a transverse direction; slowing up said current by expansion within said passages to deposit the liquid hydrocarbon particles contained therein upon the contiguous wall surfaces of said passages in intimate relation to the current movement, whereby such particles are propelled and spread out upon said surfaces in the direction of progress of the current movement to increasingly attenuate said particles until the same are entirely absorbed into said current by evaporation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST a. GoDwARn.

lVitnesses .EDMUND HUGH PRYCE, ROBERT JAMES. 

